Spring roller venetian blind



'March 2o, 1934. M1| KSNER y .1,951,659

SPRIG ROLLER VENETIAN BLIND Filed Oct. 25, 1933 zo i! 1.9::

. ,Patented Mu. 2o, 1934 UNITED .STATES 4 Claims.

This invention relates to Venetian blinds generally and also particularly to spring roller lifted l blind constructions, and the purposes of the invention are to provide improvements in the slat design and cooperating runways therefor carried by the window frames, and to provide improvements in the means for lowering the blinds and for bringing the spring rollers into action for lifting the blinds. It is also a purpose of the invenmeans for adjusting the angular setting of the louvers forming the blind.

The objects of the invention may be accomplished by a construction such as illustrated in the drawing, wherein: V

Figure i .is a perspective view of a blind mounted within a window frame which is shown partly lbroken away at its lower end.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the construction in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 o f Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 isa sectional detail in planas indicated .by the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail in enlarged vertice. section through the lowermost louver.

' Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail illustrating a novel means for frictionally retaining the louvers in any desired set angular position.

One of the principal features of the new construction is the formation of the slats or louvers which enables the doing away with lugs or trunnions on the ends of the louvers and, thus reduces the cost of the construction and the likelihood of breakage. This improvement consists of making the slats V-shaped or rounded at their ends to fit correspondingly large runways lon the window frame.. The construction is large and open and may be easily cleaned, and all parts thereof are separable and quickly demountable for cleaning purposes.- Another feature of improvement is a handle construction which is beneaththe lowermoet slat of the blind and movable downwardly sumciently for releasing the spring rollerwhich lifts the blind. Connections between the spring rollers and the operating' handle at the lower end of the blind are tapes which pass through slots in the louvers, so if the bllndis fully extended' the operating tapes may be drawn downwardly 'relativelythrough the blind for the purpose of releasing. It is thus possibleto operate the blind in much the same manner as an ordinary window shade is operated.

The angular adjustment of the louvers is pro# tion to provide, in the combination, an improved i pulleys and around the edge of the uppermost louver in order to give the proper leverage for easily changing the angular setting. Each of the louvers rests on short sections of tape which pass i transversely between the supporting webs extend- 6.0 ing downwardly in front of and in the rear of all ofthe louvers of the set. 'I'he louvers may be tilted upwardly'and lifted out of their supports and free of the guides on the window frame.

As illustrated, the operating roller 1 is compara- 65 tively heavily constructed and carries a spring 2 to be easily capable of lifting the blind. The roller is mounted in the same manner as a Hartshorn window shade roller in fittings attached to brackets 3 whichare attached tothe sides of the 70 window frame. One of these brackets also carries a set of pulleys 4 around which adjusting cordsl 5 and 6 pass and extend around the edges of the uppermost louver '1 and upwardly through perforations therein to where the cords are netted at 8.

The upper louver is pivoted at its ends in the bracketsv 3 by screws 9. This louver is heavier than the ones intermediate the ends of the blind and is stationary except for the angular adjust- B0 ment on the screw pivots 9.

Screwed to and passing over the top of louver 'l are webs 10 extending downwardly and around the bottom of the lowest louver 1l to which the ends of the web are attached' by a bent clip 12. es All of the intermediate louvers 13 rest upon trans- `versely extending tapes 14 which are woven at their ends into the vertical extending portions of webs 10.

Figure 4 illustrates in plan the end formation D0 of the louvers which are generally made of wood, and, to avoid breakage likely from the attachment or formation of pivoting lugs or trnnions on the ends of the louvers, these are so formed by bevel,- ing or rounding the entire ends 15 thereof so e6 that they may be guided in thelarge, preferablywooden, strips 16 extending vertically along the inner sides of the window frames.

All of the louvers have central slots 18 in alignmentfor the free passage therethrough of canvas belts or tapes 19 which, at their upper ends, encircle and are attached to roller 1. and at their lower ends carry a handle 20 which extends lengthwise beneath the lowermost louver 11 and is cut away at 21 to provide a central grip 22. 106 The belts 1.9 pass through slots in the handle 20. and in loops 23 at their lower ends receive pins 24 which maybe easily removed when it is desired to dismantle the structure for cleaning purv'su A means for frictionally retaining the louvers in any desired angular setting is provided for in the construction of the pivots for the uppermost louver. The screws 9 extending from the ends of this louver are encircled by a spring 25 anchored in a bore 26 in the end of the louver. The spring extends beyond the end of the louver and its end presses against the bracket 3 through a washer 27. The spring may be more or less compressed to provide the required frictional resistance by adjusting the screw 9 in or out against the washer 27 before the construction is assembled in the bracket 3. The bent yend of the bracket is slotted to receive the screw. Thus the blind may be lifted out of the bracket without the necessity of removing the screw, and in the same manner that the spring roller may be lifted out of its supports.

In the operation of the blind it lowers as usual by gravity when the handle 20 is drawn downwardly. It may be lifted from a fully extended or intermediate position as shown by Figure l by a downward pull on handle 20 which serves to release the ratchet of the spring roller 1 and permit the spring to rotate the roller. Thus the roller tapes 19 and the handle 20 operate the same as a window shade. When the roller lifts the handle 20 the latter pushes the louvers in succession against each other, and when the handle 20 is drawn downwardly the louver construction follows by gravity as guided by the tapes 19 and the runways 16. The louvers merely rest upon the transverse tapes 14 as usual in Venetian blinds, and are retained in alignment by the runway 16 an'd are free to pivot in these runways along their horizontal axes due to the large V- shaped cutting of the ends of the louvers.

Although but one embodiment of the construction is herein shown and described, details thereof may be altered orA omitted without departing from the invention as dened by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A Venetian .blind construction consisting of a. plurality of louvers, exible suspending means for the louvers, said louvers terminating in a substantially V-formation from edge to edge thereof at their ends, and corresponding V-shaped stationary vertical guides positioned for receiving the V-ends of the louvers.

2. A Venetian blind construction consisting of a plurality of louvers, iiexible suspending means -larly adjusting the uppermost louver on its pivots for the louvers, the uppermost louver having stationary pivots at its ends, the remaining louvers being movable vertically, said remaining louvers being approximately V-shaped at their ends from edge to edge thereof, stationary vertical guides formed to fit the ends of the vertically movable louvers, said exible suspending means being attached to the uppermost louver and carrying supports for the remaining louvers, means for anguconsisting of cords and spaced pulleys around which said cords pass, the ends of the cords being attached to the uppermost louver and passing around its front and rear edges to the pulleys.

3. A Venetian blind construction consisting of a plurality of louvers, exible suspending means for the louvers, the uppermost louver having stationary pivots at its ends, the remaining louvers being movable vertically, said remaining louvers being 'approximately V-shaped at their ends from edge to .edge thereof, stationary vertical guides formed to t the ends of the vertically movable louvers, said flexible suspending means being attached to the uppermost louver and carrying supports for the remaining louvers, means for angularly adjusting the uppermost louver on its pivots consisting of cords and spaced pulleys around which said cords pass, the ends of the cords being attached to the uppermost louver and passing around its front and'rear edges 105 to the pulleys, a spring actuated operating roller for the blind located above the blind and having belts attached thereto, said louvers being centrally perforated, and said belts passing through said perforations and carrying an operating handle at their lower end, which operating handle extends from belt to belt beneath and lengthwise of the lowermost louver.

4. A Venetian blind construction consisting of a plurality of louvers, flexible suspending means for the louvers, the uppermost louver having stationary pivots at its ends, the remaining louvers being movable vertically, said stationary pivots consisting of headed elements for reception by supporting brackets, said headed elements being encircled by a coiled resistance spring, said stationary louver'having bores at its ends for receiving said coiled resistance springs, and means for angularly adjusting the uppermost louver on its pivots consisting of cords and spaced pulleys around which said cords pass.

MICHAEL L. KESNER. 

